St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-09
Place of Observation.
HENRY WARD sEECHER.

upon the age in which he lived with more
distinctiveness than HENRY WARD
BEEcHER For half a century he has
been noted man. In many respects he
was the most eminent preacher the Ameri-
can pulpit ever produced, but his influence
was not confined to the pulpit. His genius
was of the versatile type. He was equally
great in journalism and in state craft and
in domain science. There was no branch
of human knowledge beyond his grasp,
and nothing which related to the welfare
of mankind beyond the reach of his amb-
ton. He was not, according to popular ac-
ceptation, an orthodox theologian. 1t was
not in the nature of the man to be. His
mimi was too broad to be restrained within
the narrow limits OF Sectarian creed, and
his spirituality too intense to be confined to
a contracted sphere of human action. The
world was his field and mis- ambition was to
till the whole ground. TO man conscious
of his own superior mental strength, it is
very chafing to be compelled to give a
blind adherence to the doctrine laid
down by some other man whose
mental calibre was probably inferior
to his own. That is why Mr.. BEECIIER
felt impelled in early life to break away
from the strict unbending forms of denom-
national restraint, and to occupy place in
the pulpit where he could give free rein to
his individual opinions. The cardinal idea
of Mr.. BEECHERS pulpit teaching was
that Christianity is not series of philo-
sophical or metaphysical dogmas, but a
rule of life in every phase. He was not
popular with the divinity schools, but his
preaching pleased the multitudeS. His re-
Igion was explained in sermon preached
just a month before he died. .'If l
were a professor of theology he
said, ''Sitting in a chair, | might be
called upon to undertake to discrim-
mate between enc view and another, and
harmonize all the various views given in the
Bible. That is very good thing for one
that is a teacher of theology; it meets.
many questions that arise in the minds of
thoughtful persons, and there ought to be
men somewhere to guide such persons. But
for you and me, living in ordinary life. the
thing present is that COP is your Father;
that His nature is goodness; and. if you
seek more familiar family name, that His
name is love. If you live in the daily con-
seriousness of His being and presence, and in
your thoughts bring Him down to you, it will
equip you for all the sorrows, mistakes, bur-
denS, pains and penalties of life. 1t will lift
you above the smallness of time" And then,
as if impressed with presentiment of ap-
preaching death. he concluded the discourse
i'll these words, I'VE are all going home.
Men shiver at the idea that they are going
to die; but this world is only a nest We
are scarcely Matched out of it here. We
have strange feelings that do not interpret
themselves. The mortal in us is crying out
for the immortal. AS in the night the
child, waking with some vague and name
less terror, cries out to express its fear and
dread, and its cry is interpreted in the
mothers heart, who runs to the child and
lays her hand upon it and quiets it to sleep
again. so do you not suppose that the ear of
GOD hears our disturbances and trials and
trib ulations in this life? Do you not sup
suppose that He who is goodness itself
cares for you? Do you suppose that He
whose royal name is Love has less sympathy
for you than her mother has for a babe |?
Let the world rock. 1t the foot of COP is
On the cradle, fear not. Look up, take
courage, hope, and hope to the end" And
thus, with dying expression in the SUI
preme goodness of GOD, he babe a final
farewell to Plymouth congregation. His
own life had been one OF trial and trouble.
A man of great positive strength and with
degree of ruggedness in his strong nature.
it would have been unnatural if Mr..
BEECHER had not made enemies of the
bitterest type. And they bounded him
with the dogs of calumny to the yerv
brink of ruin. But while they did not
succeed in throwing him from the pinnacle
to which he had arisen, they did envelop
his life in a cloud which was q check upon
his public usefulness. That is all over
now. He is beyond the reach of calumny's
foul breath. His sphere is one where
earthly clouds cannot rise. The long life
of earnest toll has found its reward of
rest. GOD has kissed his sonl to sleep as a
mother would that of child.